Set in Stone
by Kettle Orbit
Summary: Fate/Extra and Fate/Prototype crossover: Ayaka is a Master in the Holy Grail War, fighting for the sake of a past that has betrayed her. It's an impossible battle, but with Saber by her side perhaps she might have a chance...?
1. Chapter 1

_AlienWonton: This story is an expansion on my oneshot Look Out the Window, but there's no need to read it to understand anything. Just know that this takes place in Fate/Extra, but with Fate/Prototype protagonists and maybe appearances from other characters._

_This first part's rather dull, but I promise it'll pick up in the next few chapters!_

_[Insert generic disclaimer here]_

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><p>There was something strange about her school. Ayaka was sure of it...and yet whenever she tried to determine exactly <em>what<em> made the school so strange...well, it was rather like struggling to climb a slippery wall where the top was right _there_, and if she could just reach a few more centimeters...

But no matter how much she strained, her fingers always fell short.

Ayaka wasn't entirely sure when she began to notice something was off, but once she did it was like a mosquito buzzing around her head.

As usual Ayaka began the day by walking to school. Theoretically she must have slept at some point, either at home or at a dorm. Whenever she wondered exactly _where_ this house or dorm was located, however, it was as though the mosquito had multiplied into a full-fledged swarm taking up residence in her head. It was yet another mystery in this strange, mechanical life.

Upon reaching the gate Ayaka glanced at her watch. It was 7:30 AM...as usual. A pair of girls walked by, chattering about so-and-so cheating on so-and-so with so-and-so...Ayaka blinked slowly and wondered how many times she had overheard that particular conversation. Almost immediately she winced and tripped over a particularly large crack in the sidewalk as her vision turned fuzzy.

Her fellow students walked around her as if they were aware of her presence but at the same time didn't truly _see_ the girl kneeling on the pavement, scrambling for the contents of her bag.

After stuffing the last item into her bag Ayaka glanced at the sidewalk. There was nothing but smooth, unblemished concrete as far as her eye could see.

Issei Ryuudo stood in front of the school gate, a spot of black among a sea of brown uniforms. As Ayaka approached him he waved and motioned her over.

"Good morning! Lovely weather we're having, don't you think?"

Lovely. Well, that was one way to describe it. Ayaka glanced at the clear blue sky and briefly wondered if it had always been so..._fake_. Surreal. Perfect.

"Hm? Why do you look so surprised? We announced at last week's assembly that this month the student council would strictly enforce school rules."

Last week. Ayaka was pretty sure a week was the equivalent of seven days. She was also pretty sure that she should have been able to remember attending something like an assembly sometime within the past seven days.

...Why was she so surprised? This was how Issei always greeted her. _E__very. Single. Morning._

"First, let me check your student ID..."

As Issei went through his usual spiel Ayaka glanced at the ID held loosely in her hand. **Ayaka Sajyou**. It was the one constant in this confusing, unchanging life. If there was one thing she could be sure about, it was that her name had always been and will always be Ayaka Sajyou. It was something reassuring, especially considering the fact that she had recently discovered that she had completely forgotten her birthday.

Ayaka shook her head as a headache threatened to rise up again and ran through the gate, accidentally knocking Issei to the side as she did so. She glanced back to see him stagger a little before straightening up and continuing to talk to the now empty space before him, as though he had never been interrupted.

"...You're a model Tsukumihara Academy student."

Tsukumihara Academy. Something in Ayaka's head was stubbornly insisting that this was the school she had always attended. Ayaka's instinct, however, was screaming that she had never heard of this school before, and it certainly wasn't the school she normally attended.

Was she trapped in a dream?

If she was...

She'd wake up eventually, right?

No...she _will_ wake up. Soon.

If she didn't...

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><p>The morning passed in a pain-filled haze of headaches and frustration. Ayaka sat near the front of the room, but somehow - unsurprisingly - no one, not even the teacher, noticed her complete lack of attention.<p>

No one except Leo, that disconcerting new kid, who glanced her way and shot her a sympathetic smile. Any person who annoyed Shinji Matou was a person to be respected, in Ayaka's opinion, so she nodded politely and attempted to return the smile.

Soon afterwards Leo disappeared in the middle of class, and no one batted an eyelid at his departure.

Leo made her feel inferior, like she was a peasant in the presence of nobility. But perhaps he would have the answers to the myriad questions pounding away at the interior of her skull.

* * *

><p>"I wish you the best of luck."<p>

It said a lot about her state of mind when Ayaka didn't even gape as Leo walked straight through what should have been a completely solid wall. Or maybe it was simply because it was _Leo_, who seemed to excel at being unrealistic.

* * *

><p>If the situation hadn't been so surreal Ayaka might have admired the simple beauty of her surroundings. It was as though she was in an area apart from reality, and the pixelated road beneath her feet was the only thing preventing her from vanishing into the vacuum - a bit scary, but at the same time it brought with it a sense of excitement and anticipation.<p>

"...Please proceed to the final room."

Ayaka watched as the red orb faded from existence before walking forward. The 'final room', the voice had said. Was this what she had been waiting for all this time?

There was only one way to find out.

The corridor ended at what looked like a wall of water. The obstruction shimmered prettily, casting a soft blue glow over her vision as she walked through it. She felt no resistance at all.

She found herself on a circular platform that seemed to be floating in the middle of a completely black space. Three identical doorways stood before her, and she could practically _see_ the power they exuded. Whatever was behind those doorways was unlike anything she had ever encountered so far.

Ayaka took a deep breath and tore her eyes from the doorways, instead examining the platform she was on. It was ornate, decorated with a large mystic circle of some sort and engraved with indecipherable symbols. A few yards away lay the black-haired classmate that had entered before her, looking deathly pale.

"Um..." Ayaka winced as her voice, normally all but inaudible compared to the noise of her classmates, echoed eerily in the silence. "Hey, are you alright?" She knelt by the boy and reached out, intending to shake him awake.

He wasn't breathing.

Ayaka froze and stared down at the pale face before her. Just a few minutes ago she had seen him talking with Leo, followed him into this world beyond reality...

He was dead.

There was a clattering sound from nearby. Ayaka jumped to her feet and stumbled backwards as the effigy lying on the floor suddenly came to life and stalked forward, its intent clear. Ayaka backpedaled and frowned in concentration; her own effigy jumped in front of her and slashed at the thing with a spindly arm.

Slash...guard...slash again...

Ayaka flinched as her effigy took a particularly vicious hit and tumbled onto the floor. It was as though _she _was the one who had received that blow, straight through her heart...

With that cheerful thought her legs gave way and she collapsed onto the cold platform, feeling oddly numb.

"...Hmph. You seem to be lacking as well."

Ayaka winced at the words. Despite the numbness of her limbs her head had cleared considerably, and suddenly she could remember a voice from the past, degrading her skills even as it heaped compliments onto the skills of another.

_Father. Sister._

"...Farewell. I pray you'll find peace in your annihilation."

Ayaka stared at the gemstone-like quality of the floor as the voice faded away. Was she going to die here? It appeared that the boy hadn't been the first one to die...was she going to be one corpse among many, in this place that was trapped outside of reality?

_Your skills are sorely lacking._

_What a disappointment._

No...

She couldn't die here.

Ayaka gritted her teeth as waves of pain assaulted her, but eventually she managed to roll over so that she lay on her stomach. Directly in front of her was one of the three doorways, its ethereal glow almost mocking in its beauty. A creation of the heavens overlooking a field of hopelessness and death...

Ayaka scowled as the image of a young girl flashed through her mind. Ayaka Sajyou bowed to many things, true...but _fate_ was the one thing she had sworn to never embrace. If she was fated to die in this forsaken place, alone among a pile of corpses, so be it.

It wouldn't be the first time she had cheated fate, and she didn't intend for it to be the last either.

Suddenly she felt something brush lightly against her face, like the faint touch of a soft feather. As she struggled to her knees there was the sound of shattering glass and Ayaka looked up, wondering what was coming next.

Of the three doorways only the one in front of her remained. As she watched it began to glow...no, there was a strange light beaming down on it from somewhere high above. The light solidified slowly, taking on a recognizable shape...

...and suddenly there was a young man standing before her. He was handsome - Ayaka could feel her face heating up as she realized she was sprawled on the ground in a most ungainly manner - with blond hair and green eyes. He was wearing some sort of silver armor over dark blue clothes with gold trim, and there was a friendly smile on his face. Unlike Leo's smile, which had seemed like the front to something darker, this person's smile practically radiated sincerity and Ayaka found herself relaxing just looking at him. Even the obvious aura of power which swirled around him did nothing to detract from his approachability - the hurricane was there, but somehow Ayaka just _knew_ that she had nothing to fear from it.

"Did you know...that there is nothing more beautiful than a human's soul once it has been given a goal it must reach?" The man walked closer; Ayaka craned her head to keep his face in view. "Forgive me if I sound strange, but although you are silent, your soul screams to mine in its determination. It would be an honor if you would allow me to aid you in your quest...so I ask of you: are you my Master?"

The words rang hollow in her ears, but somehow Ayaka found herself nodding in response. For a moment the stranger looked as though he was torn between adopting a solemn face and keeping up his friendly attitude; eventually he gave up on the former and simply grinned, shaking his head. "I have to wonder...is it my fate to forever dance with the expectations of ritual and formality? Oh well...I look forward to working with you, Master!"

He reached out and gently pulled Ayaka to her feet with a gauntleted hand. As he released her hand Ayaka felt a sharp pain; she looked down and watched as a red mark shimmered into existence. She blinked and stared at it, then looked curiously at the armored man, who met her gaze calmly.

Suddenly there was an all too familiar clattering noise. Ayaka jumped and whirled around, watching as the effigy began to stalk forward again. Unlike before, this time it had taken a fighting stance - had it been simply toying with her the first time around? Ayaka gulped and took a step back.

"So this is our first opponent? Interesting..." Her new companion walked forward, placing himself squarely between Ayaka and the advancing effigy. "Master, there is no need to be afraid. I will allow no harm to come to you, so please watch carefully."

Ayaka tried to watch - she really did - but she did so with the thought that the battle would take more than one second. As far as she could tell the man had simply swung his arm and sliced the effigy cleanly in half. The two pieces tumbled onto the ground; the man tilted his head and looked at the pieces curiously before glancing at Ayaka, who was pretty much speechless at this point.

"Ah...was that too fast? I apologize."

Ayaka smiled weakly. She had a feeling that her life was about to get very interesting, and this was just the tip of the iceberg.


	2. Chapter 2

_AlienWonton: Obviously Ayaka's not going to be amnesiac since she's not (spoiler alert) brain dead or frozen in storage, but she's still not going to be an ordinary Master. She won't really be one of a kind like our Protagonist...just not ordinary. You'll see._

_[Insert generic disclaimer here]_

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><p>There were times when someone irritated Ayaka so much that she wanted nothing more than to punch said person right in the face. Unfortunately this was rather impossible to do at the moment, since her intense irritation was currently directed at none other than herself.<p>

Moments earlier Ayaka had jolted awake to find herself lying on what smelled and felt like a hospital cot, staring up at a plain white ceiling. For a second she had been utterly confused, wondering what on earth she was doing in the nurse's office...and then everything had come pouring back.

The preliminaries, where she had been forced into the role of a mundane student, her memories wiped clean...

Almost dying at the hands of the effigy, only to be rescued by a handsome young swordsman...(well, she thought he was a swordsman, anyway...his weapon was invisible so it could have been anything, really.)

The voice from the sky, officially welcoming her into the Holy Grail War, but not before saying something about her having a 'blessing of light'...whatever that was.

...And immediately afterwards the pain from her Command Seals, which when combined with her near death experience had been enough to make her collapse into unconciousness. Hence the reason why Ayaka was so irritated.

Sure, for all she knew it was possible that the fainting part was given to every Master so it would be easier to transfer them out of the testing field and back to the school, but it was still nothing short of embarassing. Ayaka knew the importance of a Servant, who was essentially her only ally. First needing to rescue her from an overgrown doll, then seeing her faint like some helpless maiden soon afterwards...Ayaka shuddered as she imagined what her Servant's first impressions of her must be.

"It is a relief to see you back. I was rather worried for a while there."

Ayaka could have sworn that the area next to her bed had been completely empty, but suddenly it was occupied...and by none other than the knight from before...her Servant. He gave her a big, relieved smile and took a seat on the empty bed next to hers.

"Your timing is impeccable. The Holy Grail War has begun, and the area has been in a bit of an uproar." He tilted his head and blinked, like he had a sudden thought. "Did you enter this War with knowledge of its workings, Master? It _is _a somewhat...unique type of war, after all."

"Yes...I know about it." Ayaka swung her legs over the side of the bed and used her feet to search along the floor for her shoes. To her relief they were there, and she quickly slipped them on. Anticipating the next question, she added, "I know about Servants, also. Can I ask what class you are?"

Her Servant grinned and held out his hand. Briefly the air flickered and for a moment Ayaka could see the general outline of a sword clutched in his hand. The outline faded almost immediately and the outstretched hand dropped back onto the bed, but Ayaka had seen enough and the knight's next words confirmed her suspicions. "My name is Saber." The newly named Saber scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "One of many Sabers, actually. That might cause some confusion, now that I think of it..." He trailed off and shot Ayaka a sheepish grin. "It should be fine if you call me Saber, although if you wish it you are more than welcome to call me anything you'd like."

Ayaka nodded slowly, beginning to wonder how she had managed to attract a Servant whose personality seemed to be the exact opposite of hers. She shoved the thought aside; he was strong and seemed nice enough, and that was all that mattered. "It's nice to meet you, Saber. I look forward to working with you. Um, speaking of names..." Weren't Servants generally supposed to be Legendary Souls? "What's your name? Your real name, I mean."

Saber's eyes brightened. "My name? I am Ar-" He cut off mid-word and suddenly disappeared, leaving Ayaka blinking at the slightly rumpled sheets of an empty bed. Off to the side there was the sound of a door opening, and the noise of the hallway briefly drifted in before the door slid shut again.

"Ah, Ayaka. You're finally awake? I'm so relieved." It was Sakura Matou, the school nurse, who had just entered. "All of your memories have been restored by the SERAPH. You might want to double check them just in case." Ayaka quickly flipped through her memories and nodded; everything seemed to be in order. "Oh, I should give this to you before I forget." Sakura pulled something from a drawer and held it out; it was a slim, portable terminal. Ayaka took it and tapped the screen, feeling her inner geek come to life as she immersed herself in the familiar world of operatable electronics which didn't have the potential to control her entire life.

After exchanging a few more words with Sakura Ayaka bid her goodbye and left the nurse's office with her terminal in her pocket and Saber's presence near her left shoulder.

* * *

><p>Rin Tohsaka was not in a good mood, but she wasn't in a <em>bad<em> mood, either. No, it seemed like she was in more of a _frustrated _mood, although those who knew her would probably classify this under 'bad'.

"I've investigated this school from top to bottom, but there's nothing unique about it!" Rin muttered, experimentally stamping her foot against the rooftop and tapping the fence next to her. She seemed oblivious to Ayaka, who was hovering uncertainly a few yards away.

Ayaka watched as Rin examined the rooftop, wondering if she should step forward and say hi. Everyone knew Rin Tohsaka, who was Tsukumihara Academy's most popular student. She was smart, pretty, and capable of throwing Shinji Matou off his high pedestal, which automatically gave her a few points of respect in Ayaka's eyes. Still, that had been in the preliminaries, when they had been 'classmates' and in some cases even 'friends'.

Speaking of Shinji...Ayaka briefly wondered what had happened to him. As far as she could tell he had still been stuck as an ordinary student when she had walked through the wall.

"...Huh? Hey, you over there."

Ayaka looked up; Rin was looking in her direction. Well, Saber was invisible, so...Ayaka glanced over her shoulder. There was no one there, so was Rin talking to her?

"Yeah, you." Rin walked forward with a small smile. "Hmm, I haven't checked the NPCs out much yet." She leaned forward and studied Ayaka curiously, like a specimen under a microscope. "Aha! I think I know a simple way. Don't you move." Her fingers reached out and brushed against Ayaka's cheek

Ayaka really wanted to kick her. Of course, that would be _after_ she unfroze from the shock. Not to mention the utter humiliation. Rin thought she was an _NPC_? Seriously?

"Imagine that," Rin mused, oblivious to Ayaka's darkening thoughts. "You're warm, though you shouldn't be. ...Huh? That's weird, seeing a red cheek flush like that..." Rin had leaned in even closer now and Ayaka was going crosseyed trying to keep her in view.

Ayaka seriously didn't want to know how this looked from an outsider's point of view. The rooftop door was unlocked, so there was the chance of someone walking in at any moment...

Saber was obviously struggling to muffle his snickers. He was also failing quite epically, and eventually he simply gave up and burst into laughter. Ayaka's eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Interesting..." Rin's hands moved from Ayaka's face to her shoulder and stomach. "You're more well-built than I had expected. You look and feel real. Maybe more real than most people."

Right when Ayaka was about to reach breaking point Rin stepped back and scowled at the seemingly empty space behind her. "Hey, what are you laughing at? It's to our advantage to look into everything, even the NPCs."

"It would appear that the Servant is more observant than the Master," Saber commented with a very unknightly snort. Ayaka squinted at the space beside her and found that by concentrating she could just make out the outline of the swordsman standing next to her. Good enough; she reached out and grabbed his hood, yanking it up and pulling it over his eyes. Saber spluttered, but still sounded more amused than anything else.

"She's...what? She's a Master, too?" A horrified look was slowly spreading across Rin's face. "W-wait. That means when I felt up-" Her face turned an impressive shade of red, almost matching her shirt. Ayaka would have been more impressed, but she had a feeling that her own face was equally red. "Ugh, how embarrassing..." Rin trailed off and turned her back on Ayaka in order to launch into an argument with her Servant. Meanwhile...

"Master, you bear a distinct resemblance to an apple."

Ayaka spared a glance at Rin, who was still preoccupied, then narrowed her eyes and concentrated on Saber's outline. If she could just reach that tuft of hair sticking up from his head...

A few minutes later an actual NPC walked onto the roof to find a red-shirted girl stamping her feet and snapping at what looked like a perfectly ordinary fence post while another girl ran around haphazardly, looking like she was playing some weird game of tag with motes of dust.


	3. Chapter 3

_AlienWonton: Sorry about the poor quality of my writing last chapter. I'll try and pay more attention to what I'm writing._

_[Insert generic disclaimer here]_

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><p>Ayaka frowned at the terminal sitting innocently on the desk in front of her. She turned it off. She turned it back on. She picked it up and turned it this way and that, as though looking at it from a different angle would miraculously stuff new messages into her empty inbox.<p>

Hey, they were in a virtual world. The thought couldn't be _that_ ridiculous, right?

After about ten minutes Ayaka sighed and shook her head. It seemed that the SERAPH had completely forgotten about sending her the notice of her first match after all. Ignoring the other girls in the classroom, all of whom were chattering about their respective opponents, she shoved the terminal into her bag and marched out of the room, intending to find an NPC and rant at it until the system took notice and corrected the mistake.

Luckily she ran into an NPC right away, a tall man dressed like a priest. Upon seeing her he nodded politely and smiled a smile that was oddly painful to look at.

"Congratulations," he said with a somewhat jerky nod. "You have been deemed worthy to be a participant in the Holy Grail War. You may call me Father Kotomine. I am an NPC assigned the task of supervising the Holy Grail War. As of today you and your fellow magi have been given the honor of fighting in the Arena up ahead." He gestured down the corridor. Around the corner was the place Ayaka had walked through to escape the preliminaries.

For the next few minutes Kotomine recited what sounded like a preprogrammed speech on the rules of the tournament, which Ayaka carefully noted in her terminal. With a frown she realized that if she didn't receive the name of her opponent today, that meant she would be at a disadvantage, especially if her opponent already knew who she was. Once Kotomine's speech was over she held up her terminal and tapped the 'mail' button to show him the empty mailbox.

"Yeah, I wanted to know if I'm supposed to know who my opponent is by now. I mean, it'll be kinda hard to prepare accordingly if I have no clue who I'm facing."

For the first time Kotomine's mechanical expression dropped and was replaced by a more natural-looking surprise. "You have yet to be informed of your first round opponent? Hmm..." He frowned and closed his eyes. "Wait just one moment."

Ayaka sighed and tapped her foot impatiently. A couple of passing people shot her curious looks; she ignored them and pointedly kept her gaze fixed on a spot to the left of Kotomine's ear.

"...Strange," Kotomine muttered, opening his eyes. "There seems to be a system error. I will locate your opponent by tomorrow."

Well, it was better than what she had initially. Ayaka nodded and thanked the NPC before turning away.

"One last thing..." Kotomine waved a hand and Ayaka's terminal beeped; she glanced at the screen to see a box pop up. PRIVATE ROOM PASSWORD OBTAINED, said a vaguely feminine, mechanical voice. "Your private room will be located in room 2-B. Good luck." With that he walked away.

"A private room?" Ayaka tapped the box and raised an eyebrow at the string of letters and numbers that cropped up. This was a pleasant surprise; she had been beginning to wonder if she was supposed to lay out a sleeping bag in the hallway or something. Well, no harm in checking it out. She nodded and turned to the stairs, only to come face to face with another, more familiar figure.

"Hey, hey Ayaka!" Tiger...Ms. Fujimura said happily, suddenly appearing from out of nowhere. "You'd be willing to do your poor teacher a favor, right? RIGHT?" She quickly put on a rather pitiful puppy dog look. It wasn't really effective, but the last thing Ayaka wanted to do was gain attention by making an NPC cry...even if it was a rather _eccentric_ NPC. Ayaka nodded; Tiger cheered and threw up her arms. "Thank you! You've made my day. So, my favorite kendo sword has up and disappeared. I stashed it in the supply room, but it somehow managed to find its way into the Arena. Since I can't get in there, I need you to get my kendo sword and hand it over during the first round. Thanks again!" She waved cheerily and hurried off.

Ayaka blinked. Well, if it was somewhere in the Arena she supposed she could keep an eye out while in there. Suspiciously she looked around for any more distractions before walking upstairs and making a beeline for room 2-B. There was a reddish pink force field around the door that repelled her hand; she held up her terminal and tapped the password box, bringing up the ridiculously long password. After a bit of twisting and turning she ended up aiming the top of the terminal at the doorknob; there was a soft click and the force field dimmed slightly. As she walked inside the doors slid shut behind her with another click, leaving her in the middle of an unfurnished classroom.

No...not quite unfurnished. All the chairs had been pushed against one wall, and all of the tables and desks against another. The piles of furniture were partially covered by heavy, rather tacky orange and red drapes. In the corner of the room, pushed right next to the window and right against the chalkboard, was what looked like a bed from the nurse's office. Ayaka wandered over to the windows and looked out; there was a rather pretty view of the chapel and fountain.

"This...is an interesting room," Saber said thoughtfully, looking around with interest. "I must admit I never expected to have such an..._austere_ council room, but I suppose it will suffice."

They spent the next few hours rearranging the room. Saber had decided to get rid of his armor for practicality's sake, revealing clothes of extremely high quality, suitable for the likes of royalty. As Ayaka wheeled the bed away from the window she glanced at Saber's back as the Servant stacked some desks against a wall to use as makeshift shelves. They had been interrupted before in the nurse's office, and it had been extremely dumb in the first place to ask his name in such a public area. Now, however, they were in what was essentially their headquarters and she was bursting with curiosity. What Legendary Soul wielded an invisible sword, dressed in silk and ornate, high-quality armor, and acted like a kid?

Once Saber was done with the desk stacking Master and Servant sat side by side on the bed, which was now pushed against the wall in between the room's two entrances, and admired their handiwork. Most of the desks had gone towards the shelves but some of them had been placed in the center of the room, pushed together to create one table with a bigger surface. One of the drapes was being used as a tablecloth; the other one was folded and tucked away on one of the shelves, ready for later use as Saber's bed. They had had a bit of an argument over who slept where, with Ayaka insisting that Saber get the bed since he was the one doing all the fighting while Saber argued that Ayaka was the Master, it wasn't befitting of a knight to deny a lady her beauty sleep, and he was accustomed to sleeping on surfaces much more uncomfortable than the floor.

"Not too bad," Saber remarked with a luxurious stretch. "We will become accustomed to this place in time."

"Yeah." Ayaka nodded and glanced at her Servant. "By the way, you never told me who you are."

"Oh! I knew I had forgotten something." Saber grinned sheepishly and got to his feet, sweeping into an elegant bow. "I am Arthur Pendragon."

Ayaka's eyebrows shot up and she silently congratulated herself on not openly gawking like a starstruck idiot. But seriously, who would've thought that _Ayaka Sajyou_, failure of a magus, would manage to get the legendary _King Arthur_ as her Servant in the Holy Grail War?

She just hoped that Saber's faith and belief in her wasn't misplaced.


	4. Chapter 4

**_EvanescentBlue: _**_Yeah, I changed usernames, sorry about any confusion. Anyway, I've been playing around with writing styles lately, so sorry if this comes out as a little different from the previous chapters._

_[Insert generic disclaimer here]_

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><p>The Arena was a virtual den filled with monsters, where travellers could be ambushed at any moment and, if caught sufficiently off guard, scattered into tiny bits of data to be absorbed into the digital ether. Despite this knowledge, however, Ayaka highly doubted there would ever come a day when she ceased to find it beautiful.<p>

This particular level of the Arena gave visitors the sense of being suspended in the middle of space, with only the thin, transparent corridors preventing them from spinning off into the stars. It was beautiful in a rather plain way, really, and a far cry from the detailed intricateness Ayaka knew the SERAPH was more than capable of. Perhaps they didn't see it fit to waste time and energy when it came to creating the deathfield for the weakest participants.

Fortunately it was not to be Saber's deathfield, and by extension Ayaka's. It was slightly unnerving at first, seeing Saber diligently following all of her commands to the letter, all the while knowing that his full potential was severely bound by the strength of her own incompetence. There had been a painful moment when a lapse in her judgment caused Saber to take a rather severe hit from an enemy he should've had no problem mowing down. The offending program was cut down seconds later and Ayaka hurried to treat her Servant's wound, keeping her head down so she wouldn't see the disappointment and lack of trust that was sure to be there, as Saber finally realized that this Master was not worthy of someone like him...

"You're a skilled healer," Saber said cheerfully, flexing his fingers. "Thank you, Master. I believe you're getting used to this. Perhaps a bit more practice before we retire for the day?"

...only to look up and find him giving her that wide, gentle smile that was quickly becoming familiar, his eyes openly shining with trust and understanding. Despite her misgivings Ayaka found herself grinning and reached out to grasp his hand briefly before they seperated and headed deeper into the Arena.

Just for that smile, for the kindness of this Legendary Soul - just for that, she would work harder than she ever had. Just for that smile, Ayaka would surpass the memories of her prodigious sister - and never give Saber any reason to lose faith in her as his Master.

* * *

><p>Ayaka spent the next morning wandering about in a haze of worry and anticipation. Saber distracted her for an hour or so discussing the previous night's Arena venture and ways she could improve her insight in battle, but when the beeping of her terminal cut him off mid-sentence she scrambled for the device, knocking over several chairs and desks in the process and sparing Saber's poorly concealed look of amusement only a brief glare that was <em>not<em> pouty in any way or form.

: : The next combatants will be announced on the second floor bulletin board. : :

The upset furniture was promptly ignored as Master and invisible Servant left their room and walked the few feet down to the bulletin board by the staircase, on which was tacked a very innocent-looking sheet of paper. There were three typed lines running across the page. Had this been real life Ayaka would've growled at the colossal waste of paper. As it was, she had other things to worry about.

Master: Ayaka Sajyou

Master: Shinji Matou

Battlefield: First Chimeric Lunar Sea

Shinji. Of all the Masters who had made it past the prelims, her first opponent had to be Shinji. In a tiny little corner of her mind she was vaguely surprised that Shinji had actually made it - this was the guy who failed at simple math, after all - but then again that would've been a prime example of a pot and a kettle. Of course, she vaguely recalled having heard his name somewhere, so maybe he was more skilled than his personality suggested.

And speak of the devil...

"So...you're my first opponent? I'm surprised you even managed to qualify." An unpleasantly familiar voice drifted down the hallway accompanied by footsteps. "But I guess here, all things are possible. Hey, you might even be the most powerful magus here." He looked extremely amused at the thought.

Having his memories returned to him hadn't done Shinji many favors, Ayaka noted drily.

"We're at different levels even though we're friends." Shinji continued, unmindful of Ayaka's completely unfriendly thoughts. "But still, I should congratulate you." There was a pause as he seemed to remember something and an all-too-familiar arrogant smirk emerged on his face. "Hey, didn't you just barely squeak by in the prelims? I guess you're a charity case. I guess being mediocre has its' advantages. You get all of these handicaps and whatnot."

Ayaka scowled and she could almost feel Saber's hand clench into a fist. There was a brief flare of gratitude that was quickly replaced by sheer rage. How _dare_ Shinji treat this entire war like a _video game_, talking so casually about advantages and handicaps and charity?

"Keep in mind that this tournament is all about true strength, so don't get too overconfident."

Ayaka blinked and gaped as Shinji continued on to praise whoever he thought was behind the entire thing, her anger replaced by disbelief. He really _was_ treating this like a video game, like there was nothing bigger underneath the rules and regulations heaped onto the Masters and their Servants. Like this really was nothing more than a simple tournament and not the modernized continuation of an ancient and bloody war. Casually talking about forcing people to give up their friendships, casually stating his pain at fate - like he was an actor half-heartedly playing his role, secure in the knowledge that his opponent was much too insignificant to be any threat. Patting her shoulder with a plastic smile, saying that they should keep their fight clean.

"Clean but deadly, huh?" Ayaka whispered. "Sorry, but I don't think that's possible." Their battle could very well be physically clean, but the moment one of them won the victor's hands were automatically stained. Free of physical blood, perhaps, but still stained so much they could never be clean again. Manaka's dress had been white that day - until she collapsed, as dead as her victims, and the white was thoroughly saturated with crimson red.

Shinji blinked, taken aback for a moment, but then grinned and nodded approvingly. "That's the spirit! When we see each other again, it will be as enemies. Don't let our former friendship hold you back!" He winked and walked away, leaving Ayaka to her own thoughts.

Shinji was annoying. He was arrogant, and a bully, and cared for little besides his own reputation.

He was human. At the end of the week Ayaka was going to have to kill him.

If she didn't kill him then she was the one to die. This victory was necessary for her continued survival and place in this War. But even so...was she really any different from her sister?


	5. Chapter 5

_[Insert generic disclaimer here]_

* * *

><p>: : The primary cipher key has been generated. : :<p>

The first of the two cipher keys needed to enter the Coliseum where the elimination battle will take place - and the first of many trials which would determine her worth as a Master. If she couldn't obtain both Triggers before the end of the week then she was automatically disqualified and subsequently deleted. That...would be quite the embarassing death.

Ayaka sighed and put away her terminal, preparing to enter the Arena. She was still more than a little annoyed over Shinji's nonchalant attitude about the whole thing, but after asking around she figured that his confidence was somewhat justifiable since he seemed to be a famous hacker and was supposed to be incredibly strong. Besides, she couldn't let her emotions get to her so strongly if she wanted to do her best and not let Saber down.

As she walked down the stairs, however, a familiar head of blue hair popped into view. Ayaka sighed and briefly wondered if there was a hack - or at least some sort of Formal Wear - that would allow her to become invisible to select people.

"Ayaka!" Shinji said conversationally. "Going to get the Trigger? Well, it sucks to be you. I'm going in right now, too. A total cretin like you won't be able to find it, but good luck anyway!" He burst into laughter and walked off towards the Arena.

As soon as Shinji turned the corner there was a soft whooshing sound and Saber materialized with a strange expression on his face.

"I did not know it was possible to be so..._immature_," Saber said in a voice that was caught somewhere between amusement and disgust. "As much as I detest deceit even the tiniest dose of insincere chivalry would do wonders for his personality. Let us go, Master, and pay no heed to that blustering fool."

* * *

><p>Upon entering the Arena Saber paused and put a hand of Ayaka's shoulder. "Be warned, Master - the boy and his Servant are close by. Perhaps we can use this opportunity to gather information. Shall we follow them?"<p>

Ayaka hesitated. Was she confident enough to face Shinji at the moment? For all of his posturing Shinji still had at least some talent to back him up, whereas Ayaka...

"Yes...I suppose we should," she said haltingly. Even if a battle was unavoidable the SERAPH terminated all unauthorized battles after three turns. She should be able to keep Saber alive until then, and they might gain some crucial information on their opponent's skills.

They moved deeper in, dispatching enemy programs as they went. Ayaka was pleased to find that she was noticeably better at predicting their movements, and as a result Saber was able to deal with them and suffer nothing more than a few scratches in return.

Soon, however, Ayaka came to a halt and stared at the two figures blocking the corridor up ahead. One of them was Shinji, somehow looking even more smug than he normally did. As soon as he saw Ayaka his grin grew even wider.

"Ayaka, you're late. While you were crawling along like the slug you are I obtained the Trigger!"

Ayaka flinched and hastily attempted to remember if there was anything in the rules regarding whether a Master obtained a Trigger after or before their opponent. There wasn't, as far as she could recall...

Shinji, of course, completely misinterpreted her expression and burst out laughing.

"What's with that look? Your skills are pathetic compared to mine, so don't be too harsh on yourself!" He paused and turned to the tall, red-haired woman standing beside him. "And speaking of you losing, let me introduce my Servant. I'm going to win; it's not like it matters to me. If you can't even get your cipher keys you might as well just accept your game over here and now!" He smirked and addressed his Servant. "Seriously, feel free to turn her into a bullet-ridden corpse whenever you feel like it!"

Ayaka's breath caught; was Shinji really going to give out information about his Servant just like that? Not that she was complaining, but how could anyone be so stupid? This was his own life on the line! Under her disbelief there was a slight sliver of annoyance - did she really seem that incompetent, or was it just Shinji being obnoxious again? Either way, he really was beginning to get on her nerves even more than usual.

And did he say 'bullet-ridden corpse'? Ayaka looked at the scarred Servant curiously. Bullets implied guns of some sort, and gun-wielding Legendary Souls were far from common - as opposed to those who wielded swords or magic. She was dressed the part of a female gunslinger from olden times, certainly, in tight white pants and long black boots and a crimson jacket which just barely managed to cover her giant breasts.

"Okay," the Servant said with a smile, "but are you sure you're done gloating? I found myself enjoying your meaningless chatter." She then turned to Ayaka and grinned. "As you can see, when it comes to talking to others, my Master is a complete social retard, right? Seeing him actually having a conversation with you, I thought we could settle this peacefully."

Ayaka stifled a snort at the words 'social retard', then blinked owlishly as the rest of the Servant's words registered. This was what she called a conversation? But then again, maybe it was a conversation where Shinji was concerned.

Shinji wasn't too pleased. "Will you hurry up and maim her already?"

Servant and Master exchanged a few more words, though Ayaka noted with interest the Servant's apparent fondness of evil and her expectation of a reward. Maybe she was a bounty or a treasure hunter of some sort?

"Get ready, Master," Saber said softly as he planted himself in front of her. He wasn't a moment too soon as the woman pulled out a pair of beautifully decorated handguns and fired.

Saber blocked the bullets with the flat of his invisible blade and rushed forward to engage the woman in close combat. The woman grimaced and retreated slightly before fighting back, wielding her pistols like clubs.

Ayaka frowned as she attempted to analyze the enemy's movements and got only a headache for her trouble. After a few moments she gave up - Saber seemed to be doing fine on his own and didn't need her flawed interference anyway - and pressed her hands together. When she opened them there was an Ether Shard lying in her palm, ready for use.

Generally most people might agree that clubs were effective against swords merely because with enough strength behind them they could easily break a well-crafed blade. Swords were on the more delicate side, requiring finesse and skill to wield effectively, whereas clubs were...well, clubs...and anyone could do considerable damage with them even without training. With training...well, Ayaka had a feeling that Saber's sword would've been long broken by now if it wasn't Excaliber.

As it was, she could see the enemy Servant growing slightly frustrated even as Saber slowly retreated from her blows. Thanks to Saber's armor and his personal skill any damage he took was small and ignorable. Still, if this was an extended battle...

Ayaka crushed the Ether Shard into powder and blew gently, watching as every single scratch on her Servant vanished. Saber shot her a quick but grateful smile while the enemy Servant faltered for a split second; taking advantage of that opening Saber pressed forward and managed to force her back again.

Of course, that was when the SERAPH moved to intervene and they had to drop their battle or risk penalties.

* * *

><p>Ayaka sagged against the corridor wall as the last bits of adrenaline left her system. Meanwhile Saber leaned on his sword, looking rather odd as he did so, and looked thoughtfully at the place where Shinji and his Servant vanished.<p>

"Interesting..." Saber muttered. "Her weapon of choice is a projectile weapon. Perhaps she is of the Archer class...?" He glanced at Ayaka and smiled sheepishly. "Please don't quote me on that, though, as I am not sure at all."

"Yeah..." Ayaka pulled out her terminal and quickly noted down Saber's theory as well as what she herself had noticed earlier. Then she sighed and stood, giving Saber a quick once-over. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine. Shall we continue?"

"Yeah, let's go..."


End file.
